The Only Non-U.S. Reactor Certified by U.S. NRC

Jung Jae-hoon, president of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, delivers a speech at the WANO 30th anniversary ceremony at Hilton Hotel in Tokyo on May 15.

Korea's next-generation nuclear reactor APR1400 has received favorable reviews from members of the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) for its compliance with the requirements of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

"The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is in the rulemaking process to certify the design of the APR1400 reactor," Jung Jae-hoon, president of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), said in a speech during the WANO 30th anniversary ceremony at Hilton Hotel in Tokyo on May 15.

The APR1400 model is a 1,400 megawatt pressurized water reactor (PWR) developed purely by Korean technology. It is applied to Shin-Kori Units 4, 5 and 6 and Shin-Hanul Units 1 and 2.

Currently, there are only two reactor models certified by the NRC -- the AP1000 and ESBWR, both U.S. reactors. Korea's APR1400 is the only non-U.S. model to be finally certified by the NRC. Many participants in the WANO meeting expressed surprise that Korea’s APR1400 has met NRC's license requirements.

WANO was established in 1989 to exchange information and enhance safety among nuclear operators after the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown. The organization has 113 member companies from 39 countries and is headquartered in London. Its four regional centers are located in Tokyo, Atlanta, Moscow and Paris. KHNP is a member of the Tokyo Center.

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